Oil-storage system and method of protecting stored oils.



I. P. MILLER.

OIL STORAGE SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PROTECTING STORED OILS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- IO, I9I3- 7 1,186,417.

Patontvd .I 11m- 2 $HEETS-SHEET I.

J. P. MILLER.

OIL STORAGE SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PROTECTING STORED OILS.

APPLICATION FTLED SEPT. 10, 1 913.

1 1 86,41 7 Patented June (3, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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JESSE P. MILLER, 0F TREES, LOUISIANA.

OIL-STORAGE SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PROTECTING STORED OILS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1916.

Application filed SeptembrlO, 1913. Serial No. 789,166.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, JEssE P. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trees, in the parish of Caddo and State of Louisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oil-Storage. Systems and Methods of Protecting Stored Oils, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved oil storage system and an improved method of storing oil and protecting the same from explosion of gas and also from danger of ignition by lightning or otherwise, as hereinafter described and claimed. v

The invention consists in an oil storage system including an oil storage tank closed against the admission of air and means to maintain a supply of gas above the oil in the tank and at a pressure exceeding that of the atmosphere to prevent an explosive mixture of gas and air from being formed in the tank.

The invention further consists in an oil storage system including an oil storage tank closed against the admission of air, means to maintain a supply of gas above the oil in the tank and at a pressure exceeding that of the atmosphere and means to regulate the pressure of the gas.

The invention further consists in the method of protecting oil in storage by excluding air from the oil container, maintaining a body of gas above the oil at more than atmospheric pressure and relieving gas pressure when the same becomes excessive.

The invention also consists in the arrangement and construction of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :'Figure 1 is a plan of an oil storage system arranged in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 1s a transverse sectional view of: the same on the plane indicated by the line wa of Fig. 1.

ig. 3. is a similar view on the plane indicated by the line b-b of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view, showing a modified arrangement of my, improved oil storage system, Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing another modification.

In accordance with m invention, the oil storage system or tan farm comprises a series of oil storage tanks 1 of which there may beany suitable number. The storage tanks may be otherwise of any suitable construction, but must be closed against the admission of air. Gas supply means is also employed and is here indicated as a pipe 2 which forms the part of a gas system of any kind inwhich gas is maintained at a pressure exceeding that of the atmosphere. A gas feed pipe 3 which may be of the construction and arrangement here shown or of any other suitable construction and arrangement is connected at its intake end to the gas supply pipe 2 as at 4 and at this point a suitable gas regulator 5 is installed. At the discharge end of the gas feed pipe is a suitable check valve or other means to open under pressure from within the pipe and to close against the pressure without the pipe, this valve being here indicated as a pop valve 6. The discharge end of the pi e is provided with a suitable fire protector to prevent the ignition of gases escaping from the pipe by lightning or otherwise and this fire protectoris connected to earth by means of a suitable lightning conductor 8*. The fire protector may be of any suitable type and construction and is not herein specifically claimed. Each of the oil storage tanks 1 is connected to the gas feed pipe by a branch pipe 9, the said branch pipes being intermediate the ends of the as feed pipe and each-0f the oil storage tan is being connected to the gas feed pipe independently of the others.

My improved method of storing and protecting oil and the operation of my im-' proved oil storage system is as follows Petroleum or other liquid hydrocarbon which gives off inflammable gases is placed for storage in the closed tanks 1.- These tanks as hereinbefore stated are; closed against the admission of air and the gas emanating. from the oil accumulates in the tanks above the oil. To" prevent the possibility of the entrance of air into the tanks and the forming of a highly inflammable latter are also-supplied with gas from the gas supply system or apparatus 2 through the gas feed pipe 3 and its branches 9, the gas regulator 5 being set so as to maintain gas pressure in the tanks somewhat in 'excess of atmospheric pressure. The otnly means for the escape of gas from any of the tanks is through the valve 6 which is arranged at a distance from the tanks and forms a common gas escape means therefor and this valve 6 is weighted or otherwise arranged or constructed to keep the said valve closed under ordinary condi:

mixture of gas and air in the tanks, the

tions and to permit it to be opened by predetermined gas pressure in the tanks and gas feed pipe, which gas pressure, sulficient to open the valve 6 is far below that which would become dangerous or cause an explosion of gas in the tanks. Hence, the explosion of gas in the tanks is prevented, and owing to the fact that the tanks are also kept supplied with gas below such pressure as to be dangerous and yet above atmospheric pressure, air is effectually prevented from entering the tanks and forming highly inflammable explosive mixtureof gas and air therein and danger from this source is also avoided.

hen the gas in the tanks exceeds a predetermined pressure, slightly above atmospheric pressure, the gas regulator 5 automatically closes and the valve 6 opens, thus permitting the pressure of gas in the tanks to be relieved but the valve 6 closes against the back pressure and, hence, prevents air from entering any of the tanks.

The fire protector 7 arranged at the gas vent of my improved oil storage system pre vents the ignition of the vented gases by lightning or otherwise and owing to the fact that the tanks are closed to the admission of air and hai e no other gas vent than that provided by the valve 6 which is at a distance from the tanks, alLdanger of fire or of explosions at the tanksis avoided. The-lightning conductor 8 which leads from the fire protector to the earth is an additional element of safety with which my oil storage system is provided.

In Fig. 4, I show a modified form of my improved oil storage system in which the tanks 1 are arranged in series, each pair of tanks being arranged together and connected by a pipe 8, the first tanks of the series being connected to the gas regulator by a pipe 9* and the lasttank of the series being connected by a pipe 10 to the gas escape.

In Fig. 5,- I illustrate another modified form of my improved .oil storage system in which the last tank 1 of the series is provided with a gas escape valve 11 directly in its top, as it is not essential, in accordance with my invention, that the vent of the gas should discharge at a distance from the tank.

I claim 1. An oil storage system comprising a plurality ofclosed oil'containers, a gas pipe to all the containers and in communication therewith and a constant pressure regulator in the pipe and common to all the containers.

2. An oil storage system comprising a plurality of closed oil containers, a gas pipe common to all the containers and communicating therewith and a constant pressure regulator in the gas pipe in advance of the containers.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JESSE P. MILLER.

Witnesses:

ROBERT MILLER, Jim. B. FILES. 

